Being in the thick of the food industry, we always like to look ahead to what’s coming next. This year, we assembled our very first Good Food trends panel – a group of food and drink industry experts plus our own team – to predict what you’ll be buying, cooking and eating in 2018. We’ve picked top highlights, and given you tips on how to try them for yourself so your finger stays well and truly on the foodie pulse.

Top food trends for 2018

Indian Gooseberry

The Indian gooseberry belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. This fruit ripens in the autumn in wet, forest, hilly areas on the Indian subcontinent and is considered as a sacred tree in India.

In recent years it became quite popular. Bottles of supplements and creams made from the antioxidant-rich fruit, known as the “elixir of life,” are being endorsed by stars such as Kim Kardashian West, Britney Spears, and Sofia Vergara.

Jackfruit

At the top of the list is jackfruit, the largest tree-borne fruit that saw a 420 per cent rise in interest among Pinterest users, thanks in large part to the vegan and vegetarian community which discovered its use as a convincing meat substitute.

The national fruit of Bangladesh, young unripened jackfruit has become a popular meat-free stand-in for shredded beef, thanks to its texture. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin C, while its seeds are rich in protein, potassium, calcium and iron, and it has been hailed as a “miracle food crop” that could help offset global food insecurities.

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Tulsi is also known as the queen of herbs. Due to its holistic properties Tulsi is widely used in many ayurvedic and naturopathic medicines. Not only its leaves but also its flower has the properties to fight a number of diseases.

Taco fever

According to our trends panel, hyper-regional food will continue to set our tastebuds ablaze in the next 12 months. From Nordic bakeries to niche Cuban and Filipino restaurants, we expect authenticity to be the order of the day. As for star dishes, tacos have been all over our Instagram feeds recently thanks to the likes of Breddo’s Tacos, Neil Rankin’s Temper and Taqueria, so now’s the time to get well-versed in the fine art of tortilla wrangling.

Try it yourself…

Our taco recipes all use ingredients that are easy to source, but if you want to add a touch of extra authenticity, make your own Mexican mole (pronounced ‘mo-lay’), a thick, rich, chocolate-spiked sauce. Our pulled pork with mole is served with soft corn tortillas in the taco fashion.

Coconuts

As for coconuts, Whole Foods thinks consumers will branch out from tropical fruit-flavored water in 2017: Coconut, which is a fruit, a nut, and a seed all in one, will be used to make sugar, beauty products, and its white flesh will be more commonly found in flours, tortillas, chips, ice creams, butters, and more.

Low and no-alcohol drinks

We know that Generation Z drinks less than the generations before them, and that they value quality in what they do drink, so we predict non-alcoholic drinks will become more niche next year as a result. Expect to hear much more talk of turmeric shots, charcoal-activated water, cold-pressed juices and non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ like Seedlip.

Try it yourself…

If you want to build on Dry January and cut back on alcohol all year round, use mocktails and inventive non-alcoholic drinks as substitutes.

Insta-ready food

Our 2017 BBC Good Food Nation Survey found that 40% of millennials have posted photos of their food on social media channels. Producers and restaurateurs are getting in on the act, whether that’s in the form of rainbow bagels, black burger buns or blue algae coffee.

Try it yourself…

Your food doesn’t have to be a lurid shade of novelty to look Instagram-worthy. Read our guide on how to take the best photos for your social media channels and pick up expert tips from seasoned pros including Clerkenwell Boy, Dan Doherty and Symmetry Breakfast.

Healthy snacks

According to our trends panel, a continued blurring of mealtimes will mean more of us opt to graze instead of eat three meals a day. Picking and sharing small plates are on the rise, as are healthier snack solutions, so expect to see lower-sugar and high-protein bites.

Enjoy the best of you, Enjoy your food, Starvation never leads to weight loss or good life. So Stop killing yourself at every day by not eating your favorite food. Have the balance, be responsible in your choices, after all its my life !